Lock bolt fastener and door opener



March 1, 1932. H. c. HOOD LOCK BOLT FASTENER AND DOOR OPENER Filed March 23, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR ATTORNEY H. C. HOOD March 1, 1932.

LOCK BOLT FASTENER AND DOOR OPENER Filed March 23, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES HAYDEN'C. HOOD, F UPPER DARBY, PENNSYLVANIA LOCK BOLT FASTENER AND DOOR OPENER Application filed March 23, 1931. Serial No. 524,821.

The present invention relates to an improved lockbolt fastener and door opener for use in connection with casement windows, doors and the like, and more especially for use in connection with refrigerator, furnace and cabinet doors. A

It frequently happens that "a house wife and others in going to the refrigerator with both hands occu ied holding or carrying various articles to erator, and are required to free one hand in order to open the refrigerator door. This takes time and it is undoubtedly inconvenient as well as exasperating, especially when the person is in a hurry.

It is therefore the purpose of the present invention to provide a lockbolt fastener, which can be unbolted without freeing one hand and at the same time kick the door open,

thereby allowing the person to easily place each and every article in the refrigerator savin time and labor, and thereafterpermittin the refrigerator door to-be slammed shut an fastened-without any undue or perceptible injury to the fastener.

Another purpose is to provide a lockbolt fastener, which can be released by a foot or manually actuated element and the door moved to a position substantially wide 0 en. A further purpose is to provide a lock olt fastener including a tiltable keeper, especially actuated by means of a foot operated device operatively connected thereto, and which not only releases the bolt of the fastener, but also performs the duty of actuating said element of the device for kicking the door open. A still further purpose is to provide a tiltable keeper, which after being actuated to a released or opened position, will again permit the bolt of the fastener to uickly engage therewith by slamming the oor, the force resulting from the sudden slammin of the door acting to pull upwardly on the pivot 19 and hence return the keeper to its normal locked position, and thereby retain the bolt in a fast position, just as much as if the bolt andddoor may be closed and fastened by the han It is to be understood that the particulars herein given are in no way limitative, and

stored away in the refrig-- that while still keeping within the scope of the invention, any desired modification of details and proportions may be made in the construction of the appliance according to circumstances.

The invention comprisesfurther features and combination of parts to be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a're- 6D frigerator, showing the improved lockbolt fastener as applied thereto and constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 22 of Figure 1, more clearly showing the various parts 'of the tiltable keeper.

igure 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the tiltable keeper and its attendant parts.

Figure 5 is a detail view showing the rigid lock bolt.

Figure 6 is a view of a modified construction of a lockbolt fastener, wherein the tiltable kee er may be actuated by the back of 7 the han the elbow, or the knee, and yet at the same time move the door to a position substantially wide open. 4

Figure 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings 1 identifies the casing of a conventional type of refrigerator, which may or may not be equipped with electrical refrigeration. The refrigerator casing is provided with doors 2 hinged at 3, 85 and carried by the doors are casings 4, which house the lock bolts 5. These casings may be of any conventional construction, while the lockbolts may be rigid or movable and of any shape. As in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive the lockbolts are mounted so that they may oscillate in the direction of the arrows, whereby their locking ends may move up wardly to disengage from the keepers 6 when the lockbolts are operated by hand. 9E

Fastened by means of securing devices 8 to the outer face of the jamb of the doors 2 are plates 7, which have parallel guide flanges 9, the adjacent faces of which for the greater portion of their length are provided with 109 grooves 10. The keepers 6 are operatively pivoted at 11 between the upper ends of the flanges 9 and are designed for limited pivotal movement. \Vhen the keeper is in locked position with the lockbolt a nub 12 engages with the plate 7 acting as abutment means to limit the keeper in its locked position. Each keeper has a lockbolt receiving notch or bolt keeper recess 13. Also the keeper has a camming surface or edge 14. Furthermore the keeper 6 is formed with a door kick off nose 15.

In a slot 16 (which is formed in the lower part of the keeper) a link 17 is operatively pivoted at 18. The link 17 is in turn operatively pivoted on a pin 19 which is carried by a slide 20 mounted for operative movement between the guide flanges 9. Prior to inserting the slide 20 between the flanges 9, the pin 19 is inserted in order to connect the link to the slide, and the pin 19 is long enough to engage the guide grooves 10. This construction and arrangement prevents endwise movement of the pin 19 and due to the pin be ing long enough to engage the guide grooves 10 the slide 20 is retained between the flanges 9.

Suitable abutment limiting pins 21 are fastened in any convenient manner through the flanges 9 in order to be positioned across the guide grooves 10. The pins 21 act as abutments for the extremity of the pin 19 thereby limiting the downward movement of the slide 20.

It is obvious that the pivot pin 19 is disposed in a position slightly above line a-a passing horizontally through the pivot pin 18, so that when the slide 20 is in its raised position and is held against accidental downkeeper is retained in such position. In other words on account of the pin 19 being disposed above the line aa, it will frictionally engage with the walls 10a of the grooves 10, thereby assisting in retaining the keeper in its locked position and is held against accidental down- Ward pivotal movement. Suitable rods 22 have their upper ends threaded or made fast at 23 into the slides 20 there being lock nuts 24 to prevent detachment of the rods. These rods are mounted in guides 25 and terminate in foot pieces 26. T he rods extend down on the outside of the refrigerator casing, and then into the casing and downwardly on the inside as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. Obviously by hearing the foot on the pieces 26 the rods can be moved longitudinally in a downward direction and thereby operate the slides 20. In other words by imparting a downward movement to a rod 22 the slide 20 is moved downwardly between the guide flanges and with it the pivot pin 19 is then moved to a position below the line aa, hence tilting the link 17 and in turn tilting the keeper. It is obvious that the locking end of each lockbolt may slide on the camming surface or edge 14: or may slide on the edge 29, provided the locking end of the lockbolt is solid. However merely for illustrative purposes the locking end of each lockbolt has a sleeve 27 swiveled thereon in any conventional manner, the sleeve 27 acting to roll on the edges 14, 28 and 29.

While this lockbolt fastener and door kickoff includes a movable or tiltable lockbolt for movement in the direction of the arrow (1, it is really unnecessary to have a movable or tiltable lockbolt. In fact a rigid lockbolt as in Figure 5 can be used, and in thisinstance it is necessary to tilt the keeper downwardly, either by hand, or by depressing the foot piece of one of the rods 22, and when the keeper is tilted the kick oil nose 15 of the keeper will engage with the locking end of the lockbolt. sufliciently to kick the door to a position substantially wide open. The same operation will occur though the lockbolt may be of a movable or tiltable type. When the keeper is tilted on its pivot 11, the locking end of the lockbolt is free to pass over the end 30 of the keeper, and as the keeper is moving downwardly in its pivot 11 and approaching the limit of such movement, as is determined by the pins 21, the door kick oil nose 15 of the keeper will strike against the locking end of the lockbolt with sufficient force to kick the door to a position substantially wide open. In this manner the door will open substantially in order to permit the operator to further open the door Without freeing either one of he hands, so that all the articles which may be held in the hands can be easily placed in the refrigerator or cabinet.

In closing the door, it may be slammed shut, and in this instance the locking end of the lockbolt passes over the end 30 of the keeper and will then roll or slide on the edge 29 and thereby return the keeper to its normal closed position.

In the case where the lockbolt is pivotally movable and the keeper happens to be in a normal closed position, the locking end of the lockbolt will pass over the end 30 of the keep er and also cam on the edge 29 and cause the locking bolt to return to a locked position.

.lVhen the movable keeper is restored to its normal closed position, by slamming the door shut, the locking end of the lockbolt ramming on the edge 29 (whether the lockbolt is rigid or movable), the movable keeper returns to its normal closed position with sufiicient momentum and force to move the pivot 19 above the line aa in Figure 2, and obviously the harder and outward pull is imparted on the lockbolt the tighter the keeper remains closed.

ln case where the lockbolt is of a movable or pivotedtype, and the keeper happens to be in a closed normal position, the locking end of the lockbolt may ride on the edge 14 and pass over the end 30 of the keeper, and then ride on the edge 29 into a locked position.

The same principle as involved in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive is carried out in Figures 6 and 7, with the exception that the keeper is pivoted to move in a horizontal direction from the jamb. In the construction shown in Figures 6 and 7 the keeper is operatively mounted on the pivot 31 and is held in its locked position by means of a leaf spring 32 interposed between the hand piece 33 of the keeper and the plate 34 on which the keeper is carried, through the medium of the cars 35.

In this type of lockbolt fastener, the lockbolt 36 is of the sliding type, it being mounted in a casing '37 which is carried by the door of the refrigerator.

A suitable lever 38 pivoted at 39 between ears 40 and including handle end 41 is provided with a tongue 42, which protrudes into the casing 37 and engages a slot of the lockbolt 36. By this construction and arrangement of the lever 38 it is necessary to move the handle end 41 of the lever 38 outwardly from the door which will cause movement ofv the lockbolt. When opening the door by hand, in order to free the end of the lockbolt from the end 44 of the keeper, the spring 43 will be compressed.

In this arrangement of lockbolt fastener the door may be slammed shut, and in this instance the inclined edge 45 of the lockbolt will cam against the keeper at the point 46, and cause the lockbolt to move automatically against the action of the spring 43, and thereby move past the portion 46 of the keeper, the lockbolt therefore engaging in the lockbolt receiving recess 47 of the keeper.

When it is desired to open the door where it is equipped with the type of lockbolt fastener in Figures 6 and-7, the hand piece 33 may be moved quickly by the knee or elbow or a portion of the arm between the wrist and the elbow in the direction of the refrigerator casing. This action would be against the tension of the spring 32, and under such conditions the keeper would tilt upon its pivot 31, therefore the door kickoff nose 15a would instantly contact with the lockbolt, and hence kick the refrigerator door to a position substantially wide open.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed is:

1. In a lock bolt fastener, a lock bolt to be carried by a door, a keeper having a lock bolt receiving recess and mounted on a stationary element to move outwardly and downwardly, a greater portion of said recess merging into a striking cam adapted to strike and ride against the bolt when the keeper moves outwardly and downwardly, a plate on which the keeper is mounted and provided with a guide, a slide in the guide, a link connecting a slide and a, remote part of the keeper, and means connected to the slide, and adapted to be actuated by a sudden manual action, imparting a sudden jerkin action to the slide transmitting it to the keeper through'the link, whereby the striking cam may ride upon the bolt and kick the door open.

2. In a lock bolt fastener, a lock bolt to be carried by a door, a keeper having a lock bolt receiving recess and mounted on a stationary element to move outwardly and downwardly, a greater portion of said recess merging into a striking cam adapted to strike and ride against the bolt when the keeper moves outwardly and downwardly, a plate on which the keeper is mounted and provided with a guide, a slide in the guide, a link connecting the slide and a remote part of the keeper, and means connected to the slide, and adapted to be actuated by a sudden manual action, imparting a sudden jerkin action to the slide transmitting it to the keeper through the link, whereby the striking cam may ride upon the bolt and kick the door open, and means for limiting'the slide in its movement.

3. In a fastener, a lockbolt to be carried by a door movable outwardly, a unitary keeper movable on a fulcrum and adapted for the reception of the locking-end of the bolt, said keeper having a bolt striking element, and means mounted in a guide manuallyactuated for operating the keeper for releasing the bolt and imparting momentum to the striking element engaging it against the bolt and moving the door to a position substantially wide open.

4. In a fastener, a keeper movable about a fulcrum, a lockbolt engageable with the keeper at a point substantially above and oifset from the fulcrum, thereby acting to retain the door locked, said keeper having'a lockbolt striking element, and guided means man-.

lually actuated for operating the keeper on its fulcrum for releasing the lockbolt and imparting momentum to the striking element engaging it against the lockbolt and moving the door to a position substantially wide open. 5. In a fastener, a keeper mounted for movement about a fulcrum, a lockbolt to be carried by a door and adapted to engage said keeper, said keeper having a lockbolt striking element, means manually actuable in alignment with said fulcrum, a connector operatively joining the actuating means and the keeper, the fulcrum being offset from the locked position of the lockbolt, and an operative joint of the connector to the actuating means being below the fulcrum and above an operative joint of the connector to the keeper, said keeper having a lockbolt striking element engaging with momentum against the lockbolt which moves the door to a position substantially wide open, said striking element constituting a moment arm movable about said fulcrum and adapted to be struck by a lockbolt imparting momentum to the actuating means which restores the keeper in locked engagement with the lockbolt when the door is slammed shut, and means for retaining the keeper in its returned looked engagement with the lockbolt.

6. In a fastener, a keeper mounted for movement about a fulcrum, a lockbolt to be carried by a door and adapted to engage said keeper, said keeper having a lockbolt striking element, means manually actuable in alignment with said fulcrum, a link pivoted to the actuating means and in turn pivoted to the keeper, the fulcrum being oflz'set from the locked position of the lockbolt, and the pivot of the link to the actuating means being below the fulcrum and above the pivot of the link to the keeper, said keeper having a lockbolt striking element engaging with momentum against the lockbolt "which moves the door to a position substantially wide open, and means comprising said striking element adapted to be struck by the lockbolt to impart momentum to the actuating means to restore it to initial position with its pivot to the link above the pivot between the link and the keeper, and thereby return the keeper to its normal position with the lockbolt engaged therewith at a point substantially above and offset from said fulcrum, which with the pivot of the link to the actuating means retains the door against an outward pull.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HAYDEN C. HOOD. 

